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Gilbert-led Mocs getting comfortable in their roles

UTC's Keiana Gilbert (20) hides downcourt after a rebound. Jim Foster won his 900th game as the Mocs defeated Western Carolina 58-41. The University of Tennessee Mocs visited the Western Carolina Catamounts in Southern Conference women's basketball action at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, N.C., on Feb. 1, 2018.
UTC's Keiana Gilbert (20) hides downcourt after a rebound. Jim Foster won his 900th game as the Mocs defeated Western Carolina 58-41. The University of Tennessee Mocs visited the Western Carolina Catamounts in Southern Conference women's basketball action at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, N.C., on Feb. 1, 2018. UTC's Keiana Gilbert (20) hides downcourt after a rebound. Jim Foster won his 900th game as the Mocs defeated Western Carolina 58-41. The University of Tennessee Mocs visited the Western Carolina Catamounts in Southern Conference women's basketball action at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, N.C., on Feb. 1, 2018.

As Keiana Gilbert has settled into her new position on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team, so have the other Mocs into their individual roles.

The result – although the sample size is small – has been improved play for the team.

The 5-foot-10 Gilbert has embraced the role of point guard for the Mocs, with freshman Bria Dial returning to the starting lineup at Gilbert’s old guard-forward position. UTC put together one of its best performances of the season in the its most recent game, dispatching on the road a UNC Greensboro team that had beat Southern Conference second-place East Tennessee State University just two days earlier.

The Mocs (15-8, 6-3) host ETSU’s Bucs (14-10, 7-2) in a big SoCon matchup Saturday at 2 p.m. It’s the first game of a doubleheader, with the UTC men hosting Mercer at 5.

With injuries and sickness limiting the Mocs for much of the season, the rotations haven’t been consistent. Now with everybody healthy who’s going to be healthy, the product has been much better.